Aladdin is a 1992 American animated adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Aladdin was the 31st animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, and was part of the Disney film era known as the Disney Renaissance. The film is based on the folktale, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp from The Thousand and One Nights collection of stories. Released on November 25, 1992 to critical praise, Aladdin was the #1 film of 1992, grossing over $217 million in revenue in the United States, and over $504 million worldwide.

Summary

Aladdin is a poor boy living on the streets of Agrabah who lives off items he steals from vendors, having no acquired education or skills to make a living. People mostly see him as a worthless street rat and a public menace for his theft, typically because most are ignorant towards the fact that there are poor people in Agrabah. Aladdin is distasteful of the way people see him and wants them to see what he's really worth. Meanwhile, Jafar, the royal vizier to the wealthy Sultan of Agrabah, seeks a magic lamp in a Cave of Wonders to use its power to overthrow the Sultan and his daughter, Princess Jasmine, to usurp the throne of Agrabah. The cave only allows one man to enter it, dubbed, "A diamond in the rough". Jafar realizes the man to be Aladdin and orders the guards to capture him.

Princess Jasmine is pressured by her father to marry a prince. Distasteful of her life in the palace, she leaves disguised as a peasant to live her life. Aladdin meets Jasmine in the marketplace as she gives a boy an apple without paying for it. Aladdin saves her by passing her off as a crazy sister of his as the seller is about to amputate her hand for her theft. As the two escape, they realize how they identify with each other and fall in love. Eventually the two are caught and Aladdin is arrested by the palace guards led by Razoul. Jasmine reveals herself to them and demands that they let Aladdin go, but Razoul apologizes and explains that he is doing so on Jafar's orders. Jasmine confronts Jafar and demands that they release Aladdin, but Jafar tells her that Aladdin has already been executed; Jasmine is left distraught and blames herself for Aladdin's supposed death.

Aladdin is broken out of prison by his pet monkey, Abu and Jafar disguised as an old man. Jafar tells Aladdin of the Cave of Wonders and sends him in to retrieve the lamp in exchange for a handful of its treasure as a reward. Aladdin sees a chance to win Jasmine's hand and agrees to retrieve the lamp. Upon entering the cave, it demands that only the lamp be touched. In the cave, Aladdin and Abu find a magic carpet and invite it to join them. Aladdin obtains the lamp but Abu's attempt to steal a gem backfires and causes the cave to collapse. The carpet flies them back to the entrance and Aladdin delivers the lamp to Jafar, who then tries to slay him, exposing his true nature. Abu then thwarts Jafar and steals back the lamp as he, the carpet, and Aladdin fall back into the cave just as it closes. In the collapsed cave, Aladdin rubs the lamp, unexpectedly unleashing a Genie, who reveals he will grant Aladdin three wishes—with the exception of murder, romance, revival of the dead, or additional wishes. Aladdin tricks the genie into magically freeing himself, Abu, and the Carpet from the cave without actually using a wish, thereafter Genie states that Aladdin will not receive anymore magic help unless he explicitly states "I wish".

Upon reporting the incident involving Aladdin's alleged death to her father, Jasmine threatens to exile him upon becoming queen. Jafar's pet parrot, Iago suggests marrying Jasmine to become the sultan, having realized their loss of the lamp, and Jafar immediately sees potential in it, considering the Sultan's simple-mindedness. While Aladdin is contemplating his wishes, Genie admits he would wish for freedom, since he is a prisoner to his lamp. Aladdin promises to free Genie as his last wish. Understanding that he can't legally court Jasmine as a peasant, Aladdin sees another way to win her hand by being a prince. Aladdin's wish to become a prince is granted to him by The Genie, and he visits Jasmine in the guise of "Prince Ali-Ababwa". She initially believes him to be just another arrogant suitor, and Jafar's suspicions arouse as Aladdin seems to have a chance with her.

Despite the Genie's suggestion that Aladdin to tell the princess who he really is, Aladdin keeps up his act as a suave prince and Jasmine later accepts his proposal after falling in love with him on a magic carpet ride. During this time, Jasmine sees through Aladdin's disguise, but Aladdin lies to her that he sometimes dresses as a commoner to avoid the stress of the world of royalty, which she relates to. She is taken back to the palace and the two share a kiss. Afterwards, Aladdin is bound and gagged and thrown into the ocean by Jafar who makes a second attempt to arrange a marriage. Genie rescues Aladdin as his second wish; Aladdin returns to the palace and exposes Jafar's plot. Jafar flees after noticing the lamp in Aladdin's possession, realizing who Aladdin is.

Aladdin has second thoughts about freeing Genie, believing that without him he is "just Aladdin." However, upon announcing her decision to marry Aladdin, Iago steals the lamp from Aladdin. After rubbing the lamp, Jafar uses his first two wishes to become the Sultan of Agrabah and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. At the same time, Aladdin attempts to tell the truth of his true identity, but before he can do so, Jafar already exposes his true identity to Jasmine. After Jafar banishes Aladdin to the ends of the Earth, he then makes Jasmine his personal slavegirl. Jasmine is then forced into the revealing costume of a harem concubine and leashed to Jafar's throne to serve him. While Aladdin, Abu, and Carpet return from the frozen tundra, Jasmine must endure Jafar's lecherous advances and humiliations. When Aladdin finally returns, looking to rescue Jasmine and save the kingdom, she helps him distract Jafar by seducing him and pretending to fall madly in love with him. After Jafar discovers she faked her seduction, Jasmine tries to steal the lamp in order to restore her father's kingdom. She is then trapped in an hourglass, and nearly dies from lack of air. Aladdin battles Jafar, who transforms himself into an enormous cobra and traps Aladdin. Jafar claims to be "the most powerful being on Earth", to which Aladdin argues that Genie is more powerful. Faced with this realization, Jafar uses his final wish to become a genie himself. However, he then discovers that genies are not free entities as he is sucked into a lamp of his own, dragging Iago with him. The Genie sends Jafar's lamp flying into the Cave of Wonders.

After Aladdin realizes that he cannot keep pretending to be something he is not, he decides to keep his promise and wish for Genie's freedom. Seeing Jasmine's love for Aladdin, the Sultan changes the law to allow her to marry whomever she deems worthy. The newly free Genie leaves to explore the world while Aladdin and Jasmine celebrate their engagement.

Home release

VHS release

DVD release

Aladdin was first released on VHS on October 1, 1993, as part of the Walt Disney Classics line. The film was also later released on DVD on October 5, 2004 as part of Disney's Platinum Edition line.